City to lease farmers' market site

Buchanan change avoids conflict with federal funding rules.

Buchanan change avoids conflict with federal funding rules.

September 28, 2006|STAN MADDUX Tribune Correspondent

BUCHANAN -- To avoid the risk of having to give back federal dollars, the Buchanan City Commission Monday night unanimously approved a lease governing the farmers' market. The lease must still be approved by the city's Downtown Development Authority, which meets Oct. 6. Under the terms, the city would pay the DDA $50 a month over 99 years for rights to the market site. In exchange, the DDA would pay the cost of utilities. City Manager Margaret "Meg" Mullendore said it's practically a break-even agreement, given that the lease payments and the cost of water and sewer are expected to be about equal. "In essence, it's a way to subsidize the utilities that are going to be charged,'' Mullendore said. The market, next to the Common along Days Avenue, is nearing the end of its first season. The permanent structure housing the market sits on land owned by the DDA. Such an arrangement wasn't given serious thought until several months ago when it was learned a $40,000 federal grant to help build the more than $200,000 structure might have to be returned. Mullendore said the grant was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA requires ownership on grants similar to the one awarded to Buchanan. Because the land is owned by the DDA, Mullendore said the USDA, despite the city owning the structure, might call into question such an arrangement. "The USDA suggested we have a lease so there's no question as to ownership. It's basically dotting the I's and crossing the T's,'' Mullendore said. Discussion also continued about how to improve the market, which has struggled at times drawing enough vendors. It was mentioned that some local growers aren't eligible to occupy a stall at the market due to restrictions allowing produce grown only within a 40-mile radius. Some local growers feature oranges and other produce raised elsewhere, which prohibits them from selling at the market. The commissioners seemed receptive to changing some of the rules and possibly doing other things to make the market more of a social event. Mayor Earl ''Joe'' Scanlon reminded the audience the market was not intended to make money but to bring people into the downtown. ''We're making adjustments as we go. We're trying to get better each year,'' Scanlon said.